The Search for Sir Drake's Sword
by Victoria Relentless
Summary: Episode 2 of the Pirates of the Atlantic, a Go to the Movies parody. Captain Cardinal is just about to go on his honeymoon with Becky when he gets an unexpected and unwanted visitor. Before he knows it, he's racing on a treasure hunt to find the sword of Sir Francis Drake.
1. Chapter 1

_ Here it is! Before I get to the story, I wanted to take a quick minute to address something a reviewer brought to my attention. After Jake rescued Allison from Mimosa, he had welcomed her back to the Scarlett Ruby, but how could that happen if he purchased the ship after Mimosa had mutinied and taken Allison? When we first wrote the story, we had originally planned Jake to have the Scarlett Ruby the whole time because Mimosa just left with part of Jake's crew. What we have written now works better. I apologize for the confusion. Thanks for faithfully reading!_

**Pirates of the Atlantic Episode 2: The Search for Sir Drake's Sword**

The Cast

Captain Jake Cardinal of the _Scarlett Ruby_, based on William Turner and Captain Jack Sparrow ~ played by Alvin

Becky Cardinal, based on Elizabeth Swann ~ played by Brittany

Matthew Mimosa, based on Hector Barbossa ~ played by Simon, former rival of the _Scarlett Ruby_

Captain Dave Senoj of the_ Swimming Frenchman, _based on Davy Jones~ played by Dave

Short Stack Muggins ~ played by Theodore, part of Mimosa's crew

Vinegar Stan~ part of Mimosa's crew

Allison Fairchild~ played by Jeanette, rescued by Jake

Nora~ played by Eleanor, second mate of the _Scarlett Ruby_

Scully, based on Joshamee Gibbs~ first mate of the _Scarlett Ruby_

Tobias Threepwood~ third mate, bosun who controls the anchor and the ship's rigging

Thad Coldsteel~ quartermaster who controls the treasury

Cutthroat Pitzel, based on Pintel~ played by Kaitlyn's OC Arnie, the helmsman

Ketchum Kert Spaghetti, based on Ragetti~ played by my OC Roger, master gunner

Wally Nipperkin~ played by Kaitlyn's OC Walter, carpenter

January Jones~ navigator

Pugwash~ Chinese chef

Chapter 1

Everyone in Jakeston was excitedly bustling around town, for their own Captain Cardinal was marrying his love Becky in just two hours. Since there was no church in Jakeston yet, the wedding was to take place on a hill that overlooks the entire island. As a wedding gift to the captain, Wally Nipperkin had built an arbor up on the hill for Becky and Jake to be married under. They had sailed Captain Griswald in from the Chinese High Seas to perform the wedding services. (Griswald, like anyone else who came to visit Jakeston, was kept below deck during the last half of the voyage in order to avoid his knowing the exact location of Jakeston.) Becky felt like this day would never come for her, and to think, three months ago she thought she would be marrying Nelson. Jake had been ready for this day ever since he was sixteen.

The wedding ceremony was nothing new: the same boring old "I dos" were said, and it ended with a kiss. The reception was a grand success, and all were happy; well, for the most part everybody was. Nora was a little frustrated that she had to wear the fancy Maid of Honor dress that Becky made her wear: pink with all the frills and lace imaginable. Celebrations of the marriage carried on for a week (gifts being delivered, parties every night, constant "Congratulations"), but then it was time for Becky and Jake to prepare to go on their honeymoon.

Jake gathered a somewhat smaller than normal crew together and set sail with Becky in the Scarlett Ruby. The first objective was to drop Allison off at her home in Wales, then to go on his honeymoon with Becky somewhere near England or Italy, then to seek an underwater treasure off the coast of Ireland.

A couple days after setting sail, Jake began the process of swearing Becky in as a pirate. Nobody in the crew was angry that another woman was joining because Becky had weaseled her way into the hearts of everybody. Nora brought out a small table, and Scully brought out the book of Pirate Code and a Bible. Tobias Threepwood and Thad Coldsteel draped a burgundy robe over Becky's shoulders.

"Put your right hand on the Bible and your left hand on the Code. Do you, Becky Cardinal, solemnly vow to always follow and uphold the pirate code of honor and promise your sole loyalty and devotion to Captain Jake Cardinal and his crew of the Scarlett Ruby as long as you remain breathing?" Jake inquired.

"I do," Becky proudly stated.

"And what is the name you have chosen to be known as?"

"Red-Eyed Beck."

"Very good; please sign the contract." Jake handed her the quill pen. After she signed her name, Jake signed his name and announced, "Everybody, please welcome our new crew member, Red-Eyed Beck!"

Everybody cheered; and they brought out the celebratory root beer, which was a special recipe developed by Jake (It is spiked with a trace amount of rum.). A couple of the men brought out a mandolin and a harmonica and began to play some upbeat music.

"So, Red-Eyed Beck," Nora approached her, "what's the inspiration behind your name? I understand the 'Beck' part, but the rest has got me stumped."

"Well, Jake and I were talking about how passionate and hot-tempered I can be about certain things. I thought that the 'Red-Eyed' part of my name could be like a symbol for my temper and burning passion."

"Wow, that sounds like your name fits you perfectly then! I say it strikes the perfect amount of fear into a person."

"Thanks," Becky said proudly. "Say, what's the story behind your name? Is Nora your real name, or did you just come up with it?"

"I think that," Nora took a sip of her root beer, "that story should be saved for another time. All you hav'ta know is that my name is Nora."

Just then, their celebrating was cut short when the lookout in the Crow's Nest noticed a small dinghy with a white flag waving.

One of the three people in the dinghy was identified as Captain Matthew Mimosa…again. The other two were what remained of his crew. Grudgingly, Jake allowed the three men permission to board his ship. Mimosa then entered Jake's office and began to explain why he was already breaking their agreement by trespassing into Jake's waters.

"You see," Mimosa began, "soon after I gathered a new ship and crew, I began an expedition to find the sword of Sir Francis Drake."

"That is a pretty ambitious thing for you to take on," Jake remarked. "Did you find out some new information about it or something? I mean, all I know is that the Spanish stole Drake's sword from his ship and hid it in some sort of complicated hunt."

"I indeed did come across new information. But before I share this information with you, I must know for sure that I can trust you to help me find the sword."

"You have my word, as long as _I_ can know for sure that I can trust _you_. After all, _you're_ the one that mutinied from _my_ ship. And I would love to finally be able to find that sword."

"Fine, you have my word as well." The two captains shook hands, and Mimosa continued relaying his story. "I found information on how the Spanish hid Drake's sword, and how to go about finding it. One first has to find the four large slabs of rock hidden in four different locations, and then he would have to find the puzzle that was missing the stone tiles. In each of the locations of the tiles, a Spanish riddle written on the wall directs to the location of the next place. I had found the first tile, but that ruthless Captain Dave Senoj of the _Swimming Frenchman_ took the tile and did away with most of my crew. Senoj proceeded with bombing my ship until it sank; only I and the two other men with me, Vinegar Stan and Short Stack-if I can even call him a man since he has only been a pirate for two weeks-, were able to escape."

"Wow, it sounds like you have been through a pretty wild adventure already. Do you remember the riddle for the next tile?"

"Yes, it tells of an island cave off the southern coast of Africa. I can direct your navigator to the coordinates I was going to use while on my own ship."

"After I take a look at them and approve, sure you can get right on that," Captain Cardinal agreed. "By the way," he added with a smirk, "Allison is still here."

"O-oh, really? Why-uh- is she still here?" Matthew asked, getting a little flustered.

"We were on our way to her home before we picked you up. Maybe _you_ can tell her that now we have to either take her along on this adventure, or we can drop her off with enough money for her to take herself home."

The Scarlett Ruby changed her course for the coordinates Mimosa gave. Mimosa explained to Allison why he was there and gave her the options Jake suggested.

"I…think I would rather stay on board and wait until afterwards to go home. I feel safer on this ship than if I were to go on by myself. And I would much rather see the sword in better hands than Senoj's; after all, he and his men are the ones who raided my home city multiple times and kidnapped me in the first place."

"Oh, that's right. I had forgotten that he was the one who first kidnapped you."

"And you were the second," Allison added.

"Er- right. I…was. Well, it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Yes, I suppose it did."

"Anyways, I'm, uh, glad you'll be staying on the ship. It is the safest place for you."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ship, Jake was explaining to Becky their new plans.

"So, do you understand now why we have to postpone our honeymoon, darling?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Mimosa had better not be sending us on a wild goose chase though, or I'll really let him have it."

"Just think: this gives you a chance to experience the true life of a pirate for the first time."

"Hmm, okay. I don't like having to postpone our honeymoon, but this _does _seem more important."

"You're _so_ understanding; that's why I love you." Jake gave her a kiss then went off to go yell at a pirate who was dozing off while on duty.

Once the rest of the crew learned about the new plans, Nora and Red-Eyed Beck took it upon themselves to start training Allison in some forms of self-defense in order for her to be less of a burden to those who would have to protect her. The girls tried to make her feel like she was doing a great job, but in reality, she was doing horribly. Allison kept tripping into the obstacles, and her aim was terrible. One time while practicing knife throwing with a fake knife, she nearly swiped the bandana right off of Cutthroat Pitzel's head.

The crew was very wary of Captain Mimosa and his two pirates while they were on board. Everyone was more concerned about Mimosa and his seasoned crew member than his new recruit; for the crew knew that Mimosa was the former first mate, and this Vinegar Stan was a man of no friendly words…if he even said anything. Mimosa's new recruit, Short Stack as he was called, was very inexperienced and very cheerful. Nora however found this a very dangerous combination for a pirate and decided to approach him.

"Hey there, you!" she called out to Short Stack.

He whirled around startled to hear a woman's voice. "Oh, uh, y-yes, Ma'am? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't do anything…yet. What's your name again?"

His words tumbled out, "Muggins Sam, er- Sam Muggins, or Short Stack."

"Which one is it?" Nora asked impatiently.

"My name is Sam Muggins, but Captain Mimosa gave me the nickname Short Stack."

"Well, Muggins, I just wanted to warn you that you may be a guest on this ship, but you're gonna have to take orders from my cap'n too. Ya might even have to take orders from me and the first mate. So, jest make sure that ya pay attention to what goes on around ya. Kay?"

"Sure, yeah, I-I understand, Ma'am," Muggins nodded violently.

Nora was about to walk away but then stopped. "And one more thing: the name is Nora. Don't call me 'Ma'am.'"

The Scarlett Ruby stopped halfway into their journey to the island at a port to gather more supplies and more men for their hunt. Captain Cardinal also purchased two schooners, just in case they would have to sail in tight water passes. Then they continued along their way going at full speed to try to catch up to Senoj.


	2. Covert Operation

_From here on out, I would recommend referring to Google Maps while you read this. It could make it easier to following along with where the ships are headed._

**Chapter 2**

Once they arrived at the island, the two captains, Scully, Nora, Vinegar Stan, Short Stack, and a couple of other pirates trekked out to seek the cave that held the second tile.

"There's the cave!" Jake picked up his speed as soon as it was in sight. "Hurry up!"

Muggins jogged up next to Matthew. "Um, Captain Mimosa, do you think maybe I could stay out here? It looks a little creepy in there and I-"

"Fine, Short Stack; stay outside. You can stand watch," Mimosa commanded and briskly caught up with Jake as he entered the mouth of the cave.

"Oh, thank you!" he called to Mimosa. "I'll be much safer out here alone than in there. Wait a second, I am all alone! I hope there aren't any hungry animals out here!" Short Stack inched as close to the side of the cave as he could.

When they got into the middle of the cave, they saw a stone pillar holding up a chest. They looked inside, but the tile was already gone. Other clues in the cave evidenced that Senoj had been there. The riddle was there on the wall; it spoke of an "eye of the cat." They left the cave, and searched the horizon for any signs of Senoj's ships in the distance.

"I see smoke there beyond that forest!" Mimosa volunteered. "Let's go straight through it and see if we can find out where it's coming from."

"What if it is Senoj, and he sent his men to go look for firewood, or what if we lose our way through a forest none of us has ever explored?" Jake inquired. "I say we walk along the beach, then once we get closer to the source we hide in trees."

"I'm with Cap'n Cardinal," Nora proclaimed.

"Me too," Scully agreed.

"I-I would feel safer with Captain Cardinal's plan too," Muggins meekly stated.

"Fine! We'll walk on the beach."

They sneaked around the coastline for two miles, and they finally spotted Senoj. He had three ships with him: one was the Swimming Frenchman, and the other two were smaller vessels. His men were out and about preparing to make camp for the day.

Jake's group made their way back to the Scarlett Ruby, and Jake began to plan how they would steal away the two tiles that Senoj now possessed. "We should get them as soon as we can. Probably tonight since they're making camp right now. Too bad I left my pirate who is best at stealth at home."

"I could sneak aboard for ya, Cap'n!" Nora volunteered eagerly. "I'm pretty agile and quick myself."

"Well, you've never failed me in the past…" Jake pondered aloud. "Alright. You'll go out tonight with another pirate in a rowboat and sneak onto the Swimming Frenchman."

xxxxxxxxxx

Late that night, Nora and the other pirate sailed out in the rowboat, and she slipped onto the ship. She hid in the shadows until the coast was clear, and then she sneaked into the captain's office. She found one tile stashed in a cabinet, and she sent it out the port window down to the pirate waiting in the boat. Before she could begin searching for the second tile, Nora had to dive under the large desk, for she heard the doorknob turning. Senoj entered the office because he thought he saw a light inside. He peered about briefly then pretended to leave the room. Nora breathed a sigh of relief and got out of her hiding place.

Senoj stalked towards her. "Who are you, and what are you doing on my ship?!" he demanded.

"I'm nobody, really. I was shipwrecked, a-and I only wanted to know whose ship I was on. So, who are you?" Nora backed up a couple of steps and tried to smile innocently.

"A likely story. Who sent you here? If you don't tell me, I will have to make you tell me," Senoj threatened and advanced closer to her.

"Nobody sent me 'ere. I'm 'ere on my own accord," Nora insisted. "Now, just let me get off and I'll be on my way."

"You're goin' nowhere, missy!" Senoj grabbed her wrist and tried to drag her to the cells. She began insulting and hitting him, but he knocked her unconscious. Then he ordered her to be taken down to the cells, and he returned to his office to make sure nothing was missing.

Meanwhile, when the other pirate in the rowboat heard Senoj's voice, he immediately began rowing back to the Scarlett Ruby. He reported to the captain that Nora was found out; Jake began freaking out slightly and couldn't think of a fast enough plan. But luckily Mimosa had one...

Senoj went down into Nora's cell and began asking her questions. "What did ya do with the tile, and who sent you here?" Nora only responded with sarcastic or obviously false answers. Senoj gave her a good whack in the face as punishment for her smart talk. "Have Beckham come down here and help me extract answers out of this insolent kitten!" Before Beckham could come down, a loud and continuous popping sound erupted on deck. Dave Senoj dashed up the stairs to see what all of the commotion was. Mimosa had gotten a harpoon gun and tied a string of lit fire crackers to the harpoon; he then shot it onto the deck of the Swimming Frenchman. In the meantime, Jake rowed out and sawed an opening into the side of Senoj's ship where the cells were. He climbed in through the hole, got Nora out, and they sped back to his ship. Mimosa had shot a second string of fire crackers onto the other side of the ship in order to buy Jake more time. By the time Senoj came back down to the cells, Jake was out of sight.

As soon they got back to the ship, Captain Jake gave the orders to head full speed away. While trying to figure out where this "eye of the cat" could be, Jake's navigator, January Jones, told of a giant shrine statue in the shape of a jaguar's head he had seen while sailing up the Amazon River. Cardinal sent out orders to head straight for the mouth of the Amazon.

"Let's take a look at that lip of yours," Scully said to Nora. He sat her down and examined it. "Yup, just as I thought: you need stitches."

"Oh, that's just fabulous! Does that mean I'll have to watch how I eat and how much I talk?"

"That sounds about right. Wouldn't want you ripping your stitches or infecting the cut. Good luck with the talking part, though. We all know that'll be difficult for you," Scully said with a smirk as he threaded his needle.

"Ha ha, very-ouch! Watch it! I wa'n't ready for you to start pokin' me just yet!" Nora squirmed a moment then settled down. "I'm ready now."

Scully rolled his eyes and went to work.

xxxxxxxxxx

Once they got to the mouth of the Amazon River, Jake was forced to dock the Scarlett Ruby and assign two groups of pirates to go out in the schooners to get to the shrine. Jake was in charge of one, and Captain Mimosa was in charge of the other.

"The rest of you not assigned to the schooners will stay on the ship and keep watch of it. If you see the Swimming Frenchman or any other of Senoj's ships, just lay low and don't draw any attention to yourselves," Jake finished up giving orders, and the two schooners raced up the Amazon.

When they got to the statue, the two captains along with Becky, Nora, Scully, Allison, and Muggins went into the eye room. Again, the tile was gone, but this time they found a handkerchief monogramed with the name of another infamous pirate: One Hand Gordon.

One Hand Gordon was an older pirate who had no idea what he stumbled upon. He usually pillaged the cities of the coasts of New England, and he was known for being vey diplomatic in how he handled situations. Gordon also was known for being a complete mama's boy. He came back to the statue with the intention of finding his lost hanky, for it was a gift from his dear mother.

Jake and the rest of the group hid in the trees until Gordon came back out with his handkerchief. They all got out of the trees; but on the way down, Allison fell and scraped her elbow. Matthew helped her up. Mimosa, Jake, and Becky approached One Hand Gordon with a proposition.

"Hello, my fellow pirate captain!" Jake greeted as he came up to Gordon.

"That's Jake Cardinal!" one of Gordon's men spoke up.

"It's _Captain_ Jake Cardinal, actually." He turned back to the pirate captain. "I have an offer to make to you."

"What is it that you want from me?" One Hand Gordon inquired.

"Well, you just came out from that jaguar shrine. There was a large slab of stone with intricate scrollwork in a chest in the right eye, correct?"

"Indeed, there was. We have it right here." One Hand Gordon motioned to two of his men who were carrying it.

"That stone is part of a collection that I have been gathering for my new wife."

Becky caught on to Jake's story and started to play along. "Yes, I just love looking at old things like those rocks. They're just so pretty." She hugged Jake's arm as she smiled at Gordon.

"I am very willing to give you this map that leads to treasure just off the northern Brazilian coast and a two-pound ruby that is currently on my ship at the mouth of the Amazon. If you agree to this trade, I will send one of my schooners down to get it. One of you men could go along if you'd like."

"Alright, that sounds like a decent trade to me." They shook hands, and One Hand Gordon instructed one of his strongest men to go with Nora, who was assigned to go back to the ship to get the ruby.


	3. Second Thoughts

**Chapter 3**

After Nora came back with the ruby, Jake and One Hand Gordon made the swap.

"Thank you very much for doing business with us," Jake shook hands with Gordon one last time. "Good luck with that map!"

Jake and Mimosa lead the two schooners back to the _Scarlett Ruby_, and the pirate that was keeping watch said that he saw Senoj sailing on the Amazon. Jake then fixed his attention on the location of the last tile. The riddle in the shrine described the darkest room on a Spanish pirate ship that was marooned on the coast of Florida. Jake knew right away what ship it was referring to; but by this time, it had been dragged into the gulf by the current. Luckily, since Jake was planning on making underwater searches after his honeymoon, enough equipment was on board to use to find the tile underwater.

Along the way to Florida, Mimosa struck up a conversation with Allison. "Did someone bandage up your elbow?"

"Oh, yes. And thank you again for helping me up after I fell out of that tree," Allison said shyly.

"You're welcome. It was nothing really," Matthew shrugged.

"I'm sure you must be pleased that we are getting closer to finding the sword."

"Indeed, I am, but this might just be my last pirate expedition," Mimosa's voice trailed off slightly.

"Really? But I thought you liked being a pirate."

"I did, but I have been a lousy captain as of late. Nobody respects or fears me, and what proof do I have of even being a captain? I lost two ships within a month's period, and all I have left to show for a crew is a surly pirate and a greenhorn who has no idea how to even hold a sword correctly! Maybe I was just never cut out to be a captain in the first place. Maybe I should just retire after we get the sword and buy an abandoned island where I will live the rest of my life in peace. And if I get bored, I could hide treasure around the island and try to find it again."

"That doesn't sound like a very happy life to me. Perhaps you have been taking the approach to being a captain wrong. I saw how you acted as captain on your ship: you were harsh, crude, selfish, and mean to everyone around you. In fact, that's why I always would try to ignore you while I was on your ship," Allison admitted.

Mimosa hung his head slightly, but then picked it back up. "You said I _was_ all of those things...Does that mean your opinion of me has changed?"

"Mmm, slightly: you seem more...polite and reserved than you were."

Mimosa weakly smiled, but then shook his head. "But a captain is supposed to show his power over his crew, not be kind."

"Perhaps in some respects, but take a look at how Captain Cardinal treats his men. He commands them to do things, yet he doesn't threaten them or insult them as he gives orders. I guarantee he could even name each and every one of his crew and tell you something about him."

Matthew scowled, then looked around and spotted Jake. "Cardinal!"

Jake looked up. "What!" he said slightly perturbed.

"Who's that man?" he gestured to a pirate walking past.

"That's Turnpike! You should know that: you bunked with him while you were still on my crew!"

"And how about him?" This time he pointed to a newer man they had just picked up earlier.

"That's-uuuhhh...I think he said his name was Jealous Jamison," Jake said slowly.

"Where'd he come from?"

"From Norway. Why are you asking me all these questions?" Jake demanded.

"Mm, no reason. Forget I asked," Mimosa turned back towards Allison and thought for a moment.

"See? He cares about his crew," Allison quietly said with a faint smile.

"The whole reason I -er- _left_ Cardinal's crew is that I didn't like how he did things. He seemed to be straying from traditional piracy, like not using violence to strike fear in people's hearts or not robbing every ship possible. And I felt as if he took my knowledge for granted."

"He may stray from certain pirate traditions, but most of the traditions he doesn't follow are not morally right. Plus, it seems like he is still successful and respected by most. You don't have to scare people into submission in order to make them obey or listen to you. Nor do you have to needlessly kill people while raiding other's ships."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do? I can't have my enemies continually coming back for me."

"Of course you would have to harm a person in self-defense, but there are other methods besides killing. You always claim that you are so knowledgeable, and yet I have hardly ever seen you putting any of it to use. Perhaps if you tried using your brain more than your brawn, you wouldn't have to kill as many people."

Mimosa was scowling at her at first, insulted by some of what she said. Yet as her words processed through his brain, his look softened. "Hmm, that's true. I have a lot to think about now. Thank you," he said, and walked away abruptly.

"_I hope that I was able to get to him."_Allison thought as she watched him go. "_I think there really is a good man inside of him. It's still deep inside him, but I think it's there. Being around actual pirates has shown me that not all of them are as terrible as I thought either."_

_xxxxxxxxxx_

"Land ho!" bellowed the lookout in the Crow's Nest as the shores of Florida came into sight.

"Alright, those of you who have been training for underwater searching, grab your gear and get ready to board the rowboats!" Captain Cardinal ordered as he and Captain Mimosa began preparing their own equipment. The two captains each led a rowboat around the coast of the tip of Florida, having someone constantly peering over the sides of the boat to look for the sunken ship.

Sometime later, after having a couple of false alarms, Nora noticed something very large and shadowy under the water's surface. "Cap'n, I think I see sumthin' on the right side of the boat!"

Jake peered over the side Nora directed him to. "Alright, I think this is it! Mimosa, I'm going to go down first to make sure this is really it!"

"How about we _both_ go down, and if it _is_ the ship, we come back and get everybody else?"

"Fine, then!" Jake rolled his eyes. "_Paranoid pirate," _he thought and dove into the water at the same time Mimosa did. The two swam closer to what they thought was the ship. Sure enough, it was what they were looking for. They surfaced, and ordered everyone to dive in and begin searching for the darkest room in the ship. Two men, however, were ordered to stay in the rowboats just in case someone needed help.

Captain Mimosa headed a team straight for the quarterdeck; Captain Cardinal and his team began searching the cargo hold. Nora, who was with Jake, spotted a chest that had fallen partially out of a gaping hole in the side of the ship. She broke the lock off of the chest with a rock and opened it, revealing the fourth tile. She motioned to Jake that she had found it, and he helped her swim it up to the boat. Right after they broke the surface, Mimosa and his team came up for air.

"We- got- the- tile!" Jake gasped, still trying to catch his breath after holding it for so long. "Nora and I also memorized most of the Spanish words in the riddle. Hopefully it's enough for you to be able to translate it."

"W-Wonderful!" Matthew sputtered. "Let's get back to the ship!"


	4. Acquiring the Last Tile

**Chapter 4**

Once they were back on the ship, Mimosa translated the words Jake and Nora had memorized. "Basically, it says that the puzzle is located in someone's hometown. Perhaps that means it is somewhere in Spain, since all of this was orchestrated by Spaniards."

"Well, that gives us _soo_ much information," Jake threw his hands up and walked over to his navigator. "January Jones, set us on track to Spain!"

"Aye, Captain!" January Jones turned to Cutthroat Pitzel and gave him his orders: "Set us on course for the coordinates 36.5° north, 6.3° west."

"Captain?" Scully spoke up. "We now have three out of the four of the tiles; Senoj still has the first tile. How are we going to get it from him?"

"That is a very good question, Scully. If we don't run into him before we get to Spain, I fully intend upon waiting for him until he catches up to us. Then, as soon as I see his ships pull into port, we'll attack him."

A few hours later, Matthew ran up to Captain Cardinal. "I did more research into the important figures of the Spanish Armada, and I believe the location of the puzzle could be in the hometown of the commander-in-chief of the Armada. He was Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, born in Cádiz, Spain."

"Good. Make sure Cutthroat Pitzel has us on the right course."

"Captain Cardinal!" the lookout called from the Crow's Nest. "I've spotted two ships behind us! They look like the Swimming Frenchman and another one of Senoj's ships!"

"Fabulous! Somebody get my telescope! Does it look as if he is following us?"

"I can't quite tell! He's coming on to us pretty fast!"

Jake consulted with Scully, Nora, Becky, and Captain Mimosa on the plan of attack. They decided that it would be best to swing back around to the right of Senoj's smaller ship and bomb it until it sank; then they would attempt to board the _Swimming Frenchman_. Jake would keep Dave Senoj distracted; Nora, Scully, Becky, and Matthew would look for the tile when they could; and the rest of the crew would fight off Senoj's men. For safety precautions, each of the tiles they already possessed would be placed in different locations: one tile on one schooner, one on the other schooner, and the last somewhere in the captain's office. Mimosa was also in charge of putting Allison somewhere safe below deck since Jake did not trust her enough to take care of herself. Matthew put her in a secret compartment in the wall of the area where the root beer was held. He also gave her a loaded pistol to use if anybody found her.

The sinking of the first ship was executed perfectly, and they were able to board the _Swimming Frenchman_ soon after. However, not quite enough men were left on the _Scarlett Ruby_ to fend off any of Senoj's men from invading the ship. About six men got on board. Two of the fiends who sneaked onto Jake's ship went down into the hull to look for root beer or anything else worthy of stealing. They soon found the root beer stash and were standing right next to where Allison was hiding. She tried to hold her breath to avoid their hearing her, but she was so frightened of being captured again that she nearly began to cry.

"Oy, mate, did'ja 'ear sumthin'?" the portlier of the two men whispered.

"Aye, I 'eared it too," the skinnier one hissed.

They leapt over to the wall and peeled back the wood to reveal the hollowed out crevice in which Allison was hiding.

"St-stand back! I have a-" before Allison could even finish her sentence, the heavier pirate snatched the pistol out of her hand.

"Well, ain't that cute?" the heavier pirate chortled. "It's the girl we took in Wales! Maybe the cap'n can still do sumthin' with 'er. Get some rope and let's tie 'er up!"

Meanwhile, Jake had finally gotten through the ring of men that had been protecting Senoj, and he was now sword fighting with him.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?!" Dave Senoj growled as he charged toward Jake in an attempt to slash him in the arm.

Jake dodged and responded with a grunt, "I am Captain Jake Cardinal of the _Scarlett Ruby_!" He tried to cut Senoj's leg, but Senoj blocked it. "I heard that you like to try to destroy other people's ships, and when I saw you trailing me, I thought it would be better to get the upper hand on you before you were ready to take me on."

"I wasn't going to try to take your ship. I was merely trying to go around you." Senoj tried to pin Jake into a corner while he talked, but Jake quickly slipped out of the corner and slashed the sleeve of Senoj's jacket. "You seem to be awfully young for a captain. How long have you been a pirate?"

"For about seven yea- Gah!" During his response, Senoj had cut Jake's side.


	5. Fight Aboard the Frenchman

**Chapter 5**

Scully and Mimosa were still caught up with fighting Senoj's men, but Becky and Nora teamed up together and began searching for the tile. After searching most of the hull and coming up empty-handed, they moved their search above deck fighting off pirates the whole way. Becky noticed a large group of Senoj's men were accumulating near the galley. She motioned to Ketchum Kert Spaghetti, the master gunner, to give her an explosive. He tossed one to her, and she lit it and threw it amongst the group of pirates. After it went off, she and Nora ran into the galley, fighting off anyone who still stood in their way. In the back of the galley was a chest with a large padlock. Nora shrugged and shot the lock clean off with her pistol. Becky opened the chest and hoisted the tile that was inside into her large satchel. Gold and jewelry were also inside the chest, and Nora managed to cram some of it into her satchel. The two girls ran out on deck and jumped into one of the rowboats attached to the ship. Nora dropped the boat down into the water, and they began rowing as far away from the two ships as they possibly could, just as Jake had instructed for whoever found the tile.

The two scraggly pirates with Allison swung across from Jake's ship onto Senoj's and began carrying her to the cells. Mimosa saw them run past at the same time that he saw Nora and Becky running to the side of the ship. He stopped fighting the pirate he had cornered and began chasing after the men who had Allison.

The explosion that Becky had caused distracted Senoj long enough for Jake to stab him in the thigh. Senoj stumbled backward, bumping into one of the masts. It caught him off guard for a moment, but he kept fighting with Jake.

"Cardinal, we can leave the ship now!" Mimosa hollered, just after he leapt on the back of the skinny pirate holding Allison and knocked him out. He grabbed Allison out of the pirate's hands and carried her onto the Scarlett Ruby. He untied her and began helping the crew root out the rest of Senoj's men from the Scarlett Ruby.

"As much as I'd love to stay and win this duel, my crew needs me. Men, move back to our ship! Retreat!" Jake took one last slash at Senoj and then turned around and ran for his ship. Once he saw the rest of his men retreat back onto the Scarlett Ruby, he ordered, "Start bombing the Frenchman!"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The _Swimming Frenchman_ began to sink very slowly, and Senoj was yelling insults and threats. Jake ordered Cutthroat Pitzel to sail the Scarlett Ruby towards Nora and Becky's rowboat. They picked up the girls, and Scully began bandaging up those who got hurt during the fight.

"Are you okay, Becky? Did you get hurt at all?" Jake asked after taking the tile from her satchel.

"Well, someone slashed my arm, but Nora used part of her shirt to stop the bleeding. And I broke one of my nails!" Becky groaned as she looked over her hands. "Ooh, that was one of my prettiest ones too! If I ever meet the pirate who did tha- Oh, Jake! Your side! It's bleeding! Scully, come help the captain! He's hurt!"

"Oh, it isn't that bad. It's almost a scratch. Ouch! Watch it, Scully," Jake winced as Scully began cleaning the wound. "January, make sure we are back on course for Cádiz, Spain. Open the sails all the way; full speed ahead!"

Matthew walked up to Allison, who had been sitting on a barrel on the poop deck. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, I-I'm fine," she said, looking down at her feet. "Thank you for rescuing me from those men. I didn't do a very good job of defending myself. I was going to try to use the pistol; I really was, but they ripped it out of my hands so quickly. "

"It's fine. You haven't had to fight for your life before, and you're inexperienced. They didn't _do_ anything to you, right?"

"Not really. They only gave me a couple of bruises, but one of them did knock me unconscious when I was struggling too much. My head doesn't hurt anymore though. I think I should make myself useful and see if Scully needs any help bandaging up people," Allison slipped off the barrel and tripped into Mimosa. "Ooh, s-sorry!"

"I-it's okay. Just try to be a little more careful with yourself."

"Cardinal?" Mimosa walked up to Jake after the memorial service for the few men who didn't make it off of the Swimming Frenchman. "May I have a word with you in private?"

"Sure, Mimosa. Come into my office."

"I would like to know what is going to happen to the sword once we find it."

"Well, since this is _my_ ship and technically I am now in charge of this hunt, it will stay with me." Jake sat down in his chair and noticed that Mimosa was not pleased with his response. "And of course you can have any of the treasure that's with the sword when we find it." Mimosa still wasn't pleased. "And maybe you can visit the sword every now and again."

"What if there is no other treasure with the sword?"

"Then," Jake thought for a minute, "I'll give you some of my own treasure and maybe enough money for you to buy another ship."

"The thing is," Mimosa sighed, "I have decided to retire from the pirate business once we acquire the sword. I am not meant to be a captain of my own ship. I am better off retiring to an island in the Pacific."

"Oh…I see. I suppose we should get the sword first; then we'll decide what to do with it afterwards."

Just then, someone knocked on Jake's door. "Enter!" It was Becky. "What is it, Red-Eyed Beck?"

"Captain, the lookout says that we should be approaching land very soon. He saw a seagull fly past."

"Wonderful. Tell Scully to have everybody prepare to dock soon."


	6. Mission Accomplished

**Chapter 6**

The Scarlett Ruby docked in Cádiz by nightfall, and they prepared to start looking for the puzzle in the morning.

"Alright, men," Captain Cardinal began the next morning. "I only want to bring a small crew with me on land; Nora, Scully, Red-Eyed Beck, Ketchum Kert Spaghetti, Thad Coldsteel, and January Jones: you all will come with me. Mimosa and his two men will also be coming with us. Allison you may come with us if you want. Threepwood, you are in charge of the ship while I am gone. Now, as to who will be carrying the tiles while we are out: I will be carrying one stone; Mimosa will carry another; Nora, you will carry the third; and Scully, you wild hold on to the fourth. Let's move out!"

The group of eleven began travelling around the city, looking for anything that could possibly hold the location of the puzzle. They searched for two hours, Nora and Mimosa occasionally asking someone if they knew of a special place commemorating the life of Alonso Pérez de Guzmán.

As they were walking to the next place that somebody had suggested they look, Mimosa recognized the name of a church next to them. "Hey, Cardinal, I believe that this church's cemetery is where Alonso Pérez was buried. Perhaps the puzzle is somewhere in there. Alonso is also said to have been a very religious man who-"

"That's a great place for it to be! Nobody would ever think to look for a sword in a church!" Jake excitedly started walking towards the church doors. "Let's hope nobody is around inside right now. Remember, everyone, this is a place of worship, and we must be respectful. So don't go around knocking things over and whatnot."

Luckily, nobody was inside the main room. They all spread out and began searching for any secret areas that could reveal the puzzle. Ketchum Kert Spaghetti nearly knocked some pillar candles off a table with his sword when he turned around too quickly. He grunted and awkwardly tried to steady them from falling off. As he did so, his wooden front tooth became jostled in his mouth and fell to the ground. Spaghetti frantically dropped to his knees and began looking for it. His tooth had rolled right next to Scully's foot. With a stone face, Scully stooped down and gave him his tooth.

Becky was searching near the front of the church where the priest's podium is located. She noticed the Mother Mary statue to the left of the podium, and began talking to it: "They're good pirates, you know. And my parents will be just fine without me. I'm sorry that I had to lie to th-"

"Uh, Becky?" Jake softly tapped her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, but I think maybe this isn't the best time for that."

"Er- right. Sorry, she just seemed to be staring into my soul." Becky backed up a couple steps. "Oof!" Her foot landed on a tile that sunk down into the floor, and grinding sounds shook the ground around her. "Jake, I think I found something!"

The tile activated a section of the floor tiles to collapse down, forming a staircase going below the church. Jake ordered Coldsteel and January Jones to get a boulder from outside to hold the tile down in order to let Becky get off.

"Ketchum, you and Muggins should keep watch up here; that way, if anyone comes in, you can warn us. The rest of you, come with me," Jake instructed as he began to walk down the staircase.

"It looks dark in there," Mimosa commented after scowling at Jake behind his back for ordering one of his men around. "Let's each take a candle with us so we can see."

They all walked down into the dark tunnel. Once they reached the end, the tunnel opened up into a large room. Jake and Scully used their candles to light torches that were attached to the walls. In the center of the room lay the puzzle they had been seeking. The four people holding the tiles each took turns placing their stone in the proper location. Nothing happened. They all scratched their heads.

"Uhhm, shouldn't tha' puzzle have done some sort'a spinning act or at least made some sort'a noise?" Nora asked nervously.

"There's gotta be something we're missing," Captain Cardinal reasoned. "Everybody search the room for a lever that could activate the puzzle!"

Everybody began searching, but only Allison found something behind some loose rocks in the wall. "I found the lever!" she called out and tried to pull the lever down. "I'm not quite strong enough! Somebody please come help!"

Matthew ran to her aid and helped her push the lever down. The whole puzzle shifted down into the ground and rotated. One of the walls rose up to reveal a recess containing a long, padlocked case. Everyone excitedly gathered around while Jake broke the lock off of the case and opened it.

"There it is…in all its splendor! Look at the tiny gems in the hilt; and the scrollwork on the blade. It's just as beautiful as I have always imagined it!" Jake gingerly picked the sword up out of the case and turned it over in his hands. "Look at it, Matthew. It's amazing!" He carefully passed the sword into Mimosa's hands.

"It is truly amazing!" Matthew breathed.

"Would you two stop gaping at the sword and let us get out of here now?" One-Eyed Beck asked impatiently. "I don't want anybody to find us down here."

"Oh, gosh, you're right," Mimosa realized and put the sword back into its case.

They began their trek back to the ship, with Mimosa carrying the case. Along the way, his mind was bombarded with thoughts.

"_If I were to just slow my pace down slightly and get to the back of the line, I could easily just slip away with the sword and pay somebody to take me away from here. I could get to my hideout, get my gold, and buy that island. Cardinal would never know where to look for me. I could just have the sword all to my own. But life would be so boring on an island by myself. Perhaps I could kidnap Allison and take her with me. No, then she would hate me even more than she ever has. I cannot do that to her. Maybe I should just wait to see what Jake says. He's usually fair enough if convinced properly."_

xxxxxxxxxx

As soon as they were back on the ship, Captain Cardinal placed the case on a table and let everybody have a look at the sword. He then gave Cutthroat Pitzel orders to set sail back to Jakeston. Allison walked quietly up to Jake.

"Captain Cardinal, what about taking me home?"

"Well, I really want to be able to take the sword directly home so that we don't risk it getting lost while we are out. I was planning on taking the sword back, switching crew and ships, and then taking you back home. I hope that's fine with you."

"Oh, alright. That's sounds fine; thank you."

Next, Jake called council with Scully, Nora, and Becky. Once they were all in his office, Jake began, "Captain Mimosa informed me of the fact that he is considering retirement now that we have gotten Sir Francis Drake's sword."

"Naw, really?!" Nora asked, nearly falling out of her chair with surprise. "I thought he was gonna be a pirate 'til the day he dies!"

"Now, under normal conditions, I would say that is great news, but because I have known him since before I was my own captain, that is horrible news."

"But, you two are enemies now. Why is this bad?" Becky inquired.

"When I first met Mimosa, he was so excited about living the pirate life. He reveled in the puzzles, the sword fights, and the thrill of danger. We were great friends, but after I made him my first mate, he lost that certain spark in his eye. It's like he had forgotten the true art of being a pirate and only cared about how much he was feared. Mimosa was a pretty decent pirate before he went on his little power quest; I would hate to see his skills go to waste."

"Captain, what are you saying? Do you want to take Mimosa back on your ship?" Scully asked, getting a little uneasy.

"Well, yes, I am. But, rest assured, Scully. There is no risk of him taking your or Nora's positions. He would probably have to go through a month of punishments to make up for his mutiny."

Scully settled down with the captain's reassurance. "I suppose," he started slowly, "if the men wouldn't be terribly against it and if we can actually trust Mimosa to not mutiny again, he can join the crew again. But I say if anybody suspects him of anything foul, he should be kicked off immediately."

"Aye, I agree with Scully," Nora nodded.

"It sounds great to me," Becky concurred. "I think it sounds like he has changed a little since when we first ran into him. Allison has even warmed up to him."

"Good. I'll go talk to him about it." Jake got up and beckoned for Mimosa to come talk with him.


	7. Change is Coming

**Chapter 7**

"And why would I want to join your crew again?" Mimosa questioned after Jake brought the proposition up.

"Well, for one thing, it would be better than just you retiring to a boring little island in the middle of nowhere by yourself."

"I am fully capable of living by myself," he protested.

"Sure, maybe for a month or two, but you would go insane before then. You used to love going out and seeing new places, swashbuckling, solving the obscure riddles of treasure maps. I would hate to see somebody who was once a pretty good pirate quit just because being a captain wasn't all it was cracked up to be."

"I do think that I made a better pirate than a captain," Matthew admitted. "And I can see how some of your pirating methods of not being so brutal can work. And perhaps I did not give you enough time to gather a very large reputation; after all, I only stayed with you for two years. It took me about three for somebody to at least recognize who I was."

"Yeah, once I got the Scarlett Ruby and a new crew, I built up a good reputation," Jake said proudly and adjusted his hat.

"And you would assure me that I wouldn't get harassed for the rest of my life for being a past mutineer after this month of probation has passed?"

"You have my word as a captain."

"Well, I suppose I could join again," Matthew finally said. "Now, what about the sword?"

"I was planning on making it the centerpiece on my hearth."

"_Your_ hearth? Without me, you would have never gotten it!"

"Yeah, but _I'm_ the captain, and you are the mutineer, remember? Call it a compensation gift. My previous offer still stands about me giving you some of my own treasure. And you can have visiting privileges."

"If that _is_ really the best you can supply, I suppose it will have to do. By the way, where is this 'hearth' you claim to have?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know about that. You see, about a year and a half ago I bought an island in the Atlantic; and I welcomed all of the families of my crew to come live on it. A good majority agreed to come, and I started my very own island town. I have my own house in the center of all the others."

Matthew's jaw dropped.

"It's called Jakeston."

"Of course you would call it that," Mimosa scoffed. "Would I get my own house?"

"You might eventually be able to have your own. But we usually bunk four bachelors in the same house to reduce the clutter."

"You've got yourself a deal!" Matthew held out his hand to shake Jake's hand to seal the agreement. "There's just one thing, however: what about my two men?"

"You may give them the option to join my crew, but if they decide against it, they must walk the plank."

"I will go ask them now."

A couple minutes later, Jake heard a very loud splash, and somebody knocked on his door.

"Enter!" Jake called out.

Muggins appeared in his doorway. "I would just like to say thank you very much for the opportunity to join your crew! I would be honored to become a pirate on your ship!"

Mimosa was standing behind Muggins. "Vinegar Stan decided not to join."

xxxxxxxxxx

They arrived in Jakeston in the night, and the next morning they left with a fresh crew and ship after giving Mimosa an abbreviated tour of the island. Nora and Mimosa also came along to see Allison return safely to her home. It was roughly only a day's journey to Wales from Jakeston. Once they reached the coast of Wales, they began travelling on foot to Allison's home.

"Everything looks so different now," Allison would say every time she saw each town she recognized. The last time she had been in her home city, everything was nearly destroyed by Senoj and his merciless crew. Practically everyone she used to know had moved away or did not survive the attack. Soon they arrived on the street Allison lived on.

"There it is. I don't even know how I should announce myself. Should I look around to see if one of my parents is outside; should I knock on the door; or should I just walk right into the house?"

"I would suggest knocking. The other two methods might startle them too much," Matthew volunteered.

"Do you think you could-come up to the door with me?" she asked Matthew. "I would rather not do it alone."

"Of course," he responded and walked up to the door with her. Allison knocked, and a woman around the age of thirty answered the door.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

Allison stared blankly at this stranger. Matthew, seeing her expression, answered for her. "Yes, is this the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild?"

"No, I'm sorry. I have never heard of them. This is the home of the Smithsons."

"Uh, thank you," Matthew said and lead Allison back to the rest of the group."

"They aren't there anymore," Allison said weakly.

"What?" Becky exclaimed. "Maybe they just moved down a street or something. Let's knock on other people's doors. Who else do you know that lives down here?"

"Well, I-I used to clean house for Mrs. Tuttlesworth. I'm sure she still lives here."

They tried Mrs. Tuttlesworth's house, and sure enough, she was still there. She said that Allison's parents moved away with no warning about six months after Allison was kidnapped by Senoj. They never mentioned where they were going, but they had always wanted to see the colonies of New England. After saying "Thank you" and "Good day" to Mrs. Tuttlesworth, Allison sat on the edge of the street and began to sob quietly into her hands.

"If you want, Allison, you can stay in Jakeston until you decide if you want to continue searching for your parents," Jake offered.

"Thank you, I would like that," she sniffed.

"I'll go tell Mrs. Tuttlesworth that you have decided to stay somewhere else," Mimosa volunteered. After telling Mrs. Tuttlesworth, he came back and took Allison aside from the group of people consoling her. "Allison, I am so sorry that your parents weren't here. I have come to care for you very deeply lately, and it pains me to see you so sad."

"Thank you for caring," she said with a faint smile.

"I-I think-"he started out slowly, "if you would have me- that is, if you were to marry me, I would be able to take good care of you."

"Oh, Matthew, I-I don't know what to say," Allison gasped. "Even though I have known you for two years, I hardly know the _real_ you. Don't think that this is a "no" just yet. Give me some more time to get to know you better, and then I will tell you for certain."

"Okay, th-that sounds fair to me."

The ship arrived in Jakeston yet again. Captain Cardinal and Becky rested at home for a couple of days, and on the third day back home, Jake dragged Becky down to the docks.

"Jake, where are we going?" Becky demanded, getting annoyed that he wasn't giving her any clues along the way.

"You'll see; just be patient!" He led her over to a cog, which is a small ship with only one mast. "This is our honeymoon getaway ship! Only you and I are going on this trip. It's long overdue, too!"

Becky squealed with delight. "Nobody else? Really? Ooh, Jake I'm so excited! I need to pack my things and get-"

"There's no need;" Jake interrupted. "Everything we need is already in here. Except us, of course."

"Oh, Jake, this is going to be wonderful!" Becky hugged him and gave him a kiss.


End file.
